Agence France Presse
Wuhan, Oct 3: After more than two decades on the professional tennis circuit, Venus Williams is on an upswing and her craving to do well hasn’t diminished a bot.
The American veteran took the crown at the Wuhan Open here Saturday – her biggest win since 2010 and her 47th career title – when Garbine Muguruza retired in the second set.
The 35-year-old star, who has long dominated women’s tennis with her younger sister Serena, looked on form at Wuhan and retirement seems to be far from her mind. She is travelling to Beijing next for the China Open and will meet another former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in her first match.
“I absolutely do want to play and I’ll do everything I can to be ready to play. I want to be as close to 100 per cent as possible. So that’s my goal,” Venus said of the Beijing tournament after her win here.
And she’s sure to be back next year, with her sights already firmly set on the 2016 Olympics in Rio. “That will be awesome to be able to play there, represent the US again. That will be an honour,” Venus said.
Today Venus regularly goes up against players who were barely as tall as a tennis racquet when she first appeared on the professional circuit in 1994 – the year her challenger at Wuhan, Muguruza was born – and might be forgiven if she opted to slow down.
In 2011, Venus was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Disease, an immune system disease that often leaves her exhausted. The illness threatened to end her career, but with the help of a new diet Williams has returned to the upper echelons, reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinals since 2010 in Australia before losing to her sister in Wimbledon this year.
Off and on the court she remains a dominant force in tennis, where she has also emerged as an influential campaigner for equal prize money for women.
“I think anyone who goes up against Venus… and expects an easy or a quick one is quite crazy,” said Briton Johanna Konta, who fell to Williams in the quarterfinals here.
Venus next heads to Beijing, where she will once again be the oldest player in the main draw, but with one thing on her mind.
“I always want to be in the final. Doesn’t matter what stage I’m in. Even if it was the last tournament of my career, I would still want to be in that final,” she said. “It just never gets old.”
